


Bloodlines

by maddisol



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Death Eater Draco Malfoy, Death Eaters, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Forbidden Love, Gen, Good Slytherins, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Rivalry, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Hogwarts Second Year, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Hogwarts Third Year, Love/Hate, Multi, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Purebloods (Harry Potter), Selwyn, Slow Burn, Slytherin, Slytherin Politics, Slytherin Pride, Slytherins Being Slytherins, The Golden Trio, The Golden Trio Era (Harry Potter), The Sacred Twenty-Eight (Harry Potter), Tom Riddle's Diary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26966593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddisol/pseuds/maddisol
Summary: Sophia Labonair had never known life outside of the expectations of others. Bright, strong-willed, and rebellious, the last of the Selwyn bloodline had spent every waking moment struggling against the weight of responsibility, but it wasn't until she entered the doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that the chance to choose her own fate felt finally within her grasp. Through uncovered secrets, birthrights, family arrangements and her the slow awakening of her own abilities, Sophia will be forced to make a choice between following her bloodline and following her heart.
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter/Original Female Character(s), Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Original Character(s)/Unknown Male Character(s), original character/unknown
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this was originally published by me on Quotev, but i've been curious about ao3 and wattpad for a while so this is my first attempt at bringing a story over here too! This is my take on the golden trio era of Harry Potter with an emphasis on the dynamics of pureblooded families and Slytherin students during the buildup to the battle of Hogwarts. It's a 2-7 year fic as Sophia is a year younger than the trio. There will be romance, but I actually haven't decided who Sophia will end up with yet so feel free to comment your thoughts! I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave comments letting me know what you think!

"Can't we tell her I'm sick?" a young girl was saying, trailing behind her parents. "Or that I fell and sprained my ankle? _Please_?"

"No, we can't. She's an old woman and she's been looking forward to this for a long time."

The girl snorted. "Yeah, right. Every time she sees me she always has to tell me what's wrong with me. _'Sit up straight, Sophia. Cross your ankles, Sophia. Shut your trap, Sophia.'_ "

Her mother didn't slow, leaving Sophia to scurry after them. "It's a Selwyn tradition. I did it when I was your age, and so will you."

"I thought we were Labonairs," the girl muttered.

Cyrus Labonair coughed loudly, but next to him, his wife turned back with a warning look her daughter knew all too well. Huffing, Sophia fell silent as the three Labonairs stopped outside of an old-fashioned tea room. "This is it," her mother said, holding the door open.

Inside, the tea room was a bustle of activity. Intricately painted teapots glided high above the tables, empty teacups and saucers that stacked together all on their own, soaring above their heads over to the kitchens to be cleaned. The air carried with it the delicate clinking of silver against porcelain, a pleasant murmur of conversation as the patrons, mostly older witches and wizards, took delicate bites of blueberry scones and clotted cream. The Labonairs were recognized instantly. They had barely stepped inside before the smiling witch at the front was already waving them through, directing them toward a private sitting room in the back.

Sophia withheld another groan. There, in all her grandeur, was Artemisia Selwyn, silver hair collected in a sleek bun at the top of her head, deep purple amethysts glittering at her throat. She was dressed in black, as she always was, her lace gloves placed deliberately beside her empty teacup and saucer as she sat expectantly, waiting.

"Mum —" Sophia began, turning back to face her parents, but her mother was quicker.

"Sit up straight," she said, bending down to smooth her daughter's hair with a smile. "Don't forget to cross your ankles, and darling, _try_ not to talk back too much. At least for today," she added, pressing a kiss against the top of Sophia's head.

Her daughter sighed, but nodded. Turning away from her parents, she made her way over to where her grandmother was seated with a forced smile. Behind her, there was a loud _POP_ as her parents disapparated.

"Hello Grandmother —"

_"Nana,"_ Artemisia corrected before she could even get another word out. "Hurry up and sit down. I've been waiting."

Gritting her teeth to bite back a retort, Sophia forced another smile as she lowered herself onto a floral patterned armchair. "We were running late. Sorry, Nana."

"Let me look at you," Sophia sat very still as her grandmother leaned in close. The distinct, sharp scent of peppermint tickled her nostrils. "I see you've neglected to comb your hair."

"Of course I combed it!" Sophia drew in a sharp breath. "I mean —!" But at her grandmother's glare, her voice died in her throat. _S_ _o much for not talking back._ Sophia looked away, fidgeting with the skirt of her dress.

"Still... you look lovely." Her grandmother said tightly, as though it caused her great pain to admit. "Thank you for agreeing to tea with me. I know it wasn't how you were hoping to spend your eleventh birthday celebration."

Sophia looked up in surprise. Compliments from her grandmother were rare — especially when they were directed at her. Artemisia Selwyn waved a graceful hand. Immediately, a waiting teapot came to greet them, hovering just over her grandmother's cup. Sophia wrinkled her nose when she saw it was licorice, but prepared her own teacup without complaint. To her surprise, however, her grandmother sent the china pot off with another wave of her hand.

"You must think me a coldhearted woman to make you drink licorice tea on your birthday," she said, gesturing for a different teapot. "I told the server you liked chai. It's still your favorite, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Sophia, eyeing the old woman warily. "You always said you couldn't stand the smell."

"I make an exception for birthdays." Artemisia watched as Sophia added milk to her steaming teacup, stirring in quite a bit of sugar. As usual, her grandmother drank her own tea unsweetened. "And this is a very special birthday indeed."

"Because I'm going to Hogwarts."

"That, among other things," her grandmother paused. "What do you know about the Selwyn bloodline, Sophia?"

For a moment, Sophia was caught off guard, not because she didn't know the answer, but rather because they both knew it very well. She answered nonetheless, determined to be polite. "It's one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight bloodlines in Europe — the ones that have managed to keep their bloodlines within all magic families. Our bloodline."

"That's correct," Artemisia lifted her teacup, but didn't drink from it. "The Selwyn family tree is among the oldest in Europe — originated in Spain, and spread throughout England and Italy. Some of our number have even crossed into the Americas."

"But some families disagree, don't they? Like the Blacks —"

"House Black is a house of _fools_ ," Artemisia spat, setting her teacup very firmly back on its saucer. "The Sacred Twenty-Eight could not have survived if we had only allowed our children to wed one another. Look where it got them — their last two heirs, dead. We do not name them. _We do not speak of them_."

There was a moment of silence in which Sophia was too nervous to touch her tea, for fear her grandmother would turn that same anger on her. After a moment, she seemed to relax, but only just.

"New blood — new _money_ — it must be incorporated into our bloodlines eventually," she continued. "Of course there are _standards_ , at least three generations of magical parentage, but that's hardly unreasonable. The houses Malfoy, Fawley, Rosier... all of them are like us. The Parkinsons and Notts now, _there_ is where tarnished blood comes into play," her grandmother sniffed heavily, but still didn't drink from her cup. "Now then. What else?"

"Mother is your last living heir."

"Wrong."

"But you always said —"

"Try again."

Sophia hesitated. "I am?"

Artemisia Selwyn surveyed her cooly, gazing sternly at her from across the lace table cloth. "You are. Though it's not ideal."

Sophia ducked her head to disguise an eye roll. "Sorry to be such a disappointment."

"Don't sulk," her grandmother snapped. "It's unbecoming."

Looking up, their eyes locked. Her grandmother's were refined, bright blue, cold and sharp like shards of frozen glass. Sophia's own eyes were glittering, defiant, almost black. They looked nothing like those of the woman who sat across from her.

"I didn't bring you here to fight with you. I wanted to give you a gift." Artemisia Selwyn pulled a black velvet box out from under the table, no bigger than the woman's fist. She placed it across from her granddaughter. "Open it."

When she did, Sophia drew in a breath. Inside the box was a gleaming golden charm, no wider than the width of her pinky. It was attached to a thin golden chain so fine, so delicately entwined that Sophia feared she might break it. It glinted shades of green and red — blazing emerald and shining ruby. The gemstones formed a six-petaled flower, set with tiny pearls around the edges. The back had been engraved with a single word. _Selwyn._

"It's beautiful! Is this really for me?"

Amazingly, her grandmother actually snorted. "Well, I didn't give it to you just to take it back. Go on then. Try it on."

Obediently, Sophia reached to fasten the pendant behind her neck. The chain was slightly too long — the miniature charm kept slipping behind the neckline of her dress.

"It was my grandmother's," Artemisia said. There was a hint of fondness to her voice, a softness that Sophia rarely was witness to. "She gave it to me years ago, when I turned eleven too. She said it was a gift from your great-great grandfather."

The necklace finally fastened, Sophia turned to look at her grandmother once more, beaming. "How do I look, Nana?"

"Never mind that." Immediately, her grandmother's softness was gone, as though it was never there to begin with. "Your tea's gone cold. Now I'll have to order you a second cup."

**I know this chapter was a little bit short, but I had to cut this from the original on Quotev because of the chapter limit! However, I absolutely adored this scene and think it's the perfect intro to the story so I really wanted to add it here. I'm also taking advantage of the new platform to change Sophia's grandmother's name to Artemisia rather than the original, Mary-Alice, as a tribute to my own grandmother who inspired her character. The next chapter will be when Sophia's adventures at Hogwarts start, so I really hope that you'll enjoy them! I've never published anything on ao3 before so I'm very scared and excited to be here! I hope you enjoy, and feel free to check this story out published under this name (@maddisol on Quotev and @itsmaddisol on Wattpad) if you enjoyed but would rather read there! Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know if you liked it (or didn't!) as well as any questions or just fun stuff to say you might have. Anyways, without further ado, onto the next chapter!**

**\- Maddi**


	2. Chapter 1 || The Hogwarts Express (Year One)

**" _Ugh!_ You have got to be kidding me-"** Sophia Labonair let go of the end of her trunk, narrowly escaping being caught on the toe. Frustrated, she delivered a swift kick to the side and turned back to face the platform, huffing.

She'd been trying to shove her trunk into the train compartment for nearly ten minutes, without any luck. _Which is your fault,_ she thought bitterly. _If you hadn't been so stubborn, Mum and Dad would be here right now._ But as it was, at least they weren't here to see this catastrophic failure.

It had taken an entire week and a half of pleading, bargaining, arguing, and finally, ignoring, before her parents had finally caved in and agreed to let her board the Hogwarts Express by herself.

"She's never ridden a train before," her mother had whispered when they thought she was in bed. Sophia, who had been hiding just outside the doorway, drew in a breath. "What if she gets lost, or can't find the right platform?"

"Then you deal with her," her father had groaned, much to his daughter's delight. "She's driving me mad. I don't know how much more of her whining I can take."

So they had let her go alone. And now, standing outside her chosen compartment, _so close_ to finally starting off on her new life, she couldn't even lift her trunk off of the ground. _Of all the stupid things to get stuck on._

"Need some help?" came a voice from behind her. Sophia let out a shriek of surprise and the trunk slammed painfully on her foot. Turning behind her, she looked up to find an identical pair of grinning, freckled faces.

"That's a stupid question, look what you've done, George." One of the boys said, hurrying to help her pull her foot out from under the trunk.

"Please, you're the one that scared her." George turned to Sophia with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that,"

"No, don't!" She exclaimed as the first boy reached down to grab her trunk. "I can handle this myself-" But she broke off, groaning in frustration as she dropped the trunk yet again.

"Are you sure?" The first boy was smiling incredulously. "At the rate you've been going, it looks like you'll be here all day."

"I... really... won't!" Sophia said through gritted teeth. "If I can just... get it... _up there-!_ " She changed positions, now fully underneath the trunk, raising it with trembling arms.

"Merlin, Fred." said George in amusement as Sophia continued to struggle to lift the trunk from the platform floor. "She's like a clone of Ginny. All snippy and stubborn."

"My name is _Sophia_ -" she huffed, "and actually, if you could just open the door a little-"

But Fred, or maybe it was George, it was difficult to tell from the ground, was already there at the compartment door, holding it open and grasping the other end as she pushed her trunk onto the Hogwarts Express. Sophia collapsed against the side of the gleaming scarlet engine with a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said with a smile, turning back to face the twin boys.

"Don't mention it," said Fred, hopping off the train and landing neatly beside her. "That'll be seven Galleons." Sophia opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the boy laughed. "Only joking," he said. "Our services are, of course, free of charge."

"Fred! George! Come over here and help your sister," Sophia turned to see a short, plump woman with her two children, all with hair the same color as the twins.

"Duty calls," Fred winked, turning away with George right behind him. "Coming, Mum!"

Sophia laughed despite herself, climbing onto the train and pulling the door shut behind her. The compartment was empty, with plush seating and a sliding glass door that separated her from the narrow corridor that ran between compartments, busy with students her age hurrying to meet their friends. The air inside was still and peaceful, a stark contrast from the raucous laughter sounding from the hallway and the clattering and shouting from the platform outside. With butterflies flitting in her stomach, Sophia pushed her trunk into the corner as she sank into a velvet seat, a smile on her face. _She was going to Hogwarts._ It was what she had dreamed about for nearly as long as she could remember. 

It was no sooner had she sat down, however, that someone else threw open the sliding glass door that led into the hallway.

"Get lost! I don't need you embarrassing me-" But the redheaded girl who was speaking flushed scarlet when her eyes landed on Sophia. "Oh no, wait! I didn't mean _you!_ I- I don't even know you, it was my brothers, they've been pestering me-"

"There she is!" A voice Sophia recognized all too well sang. "Aw, and she's made a friend. Look George, it's the little first year from the platform."

"Hello again. I take it you've just met our sister Ginny? An absolute ray of sunshine, isn't she?"

"Yes," said Sophia before she could stop herself. "We were just having a chat about you actually. You were right," she said, turning to the redhead girl with a grin. "They really _do_ smell."

Fred and George looked at her in surprise and the girl laughed out loud.

_"Ouch,"_ said George, but he was smiling. "Looks like the first years are especially snippy this year. Shall we go cry in a corner, Fred?"

"We shall," Fred winked. "See you later Gin, see you later Snips."

And just as suddenly as they'd entered, the boys were gone, the redheaded girl and Sophia dissolving into giggles once the door had closed. "Thank you," said Ginny. "You didn't have to say all that- especially after I shouted at you. I'm so embarrassed, this isn't at all how I wanted to start off at Hogwarts, you have _no idea_."

"I think I probably have some idea," Sophia said with a laugh. Ginny visibly relaxed, breaking into a relieved smile as she took a seat across from her. "I'm Sophia."

"It's nice to meet you," said Ginny. "I'm sorry again about the whole shouting thing. It's just- they've been pestering me so much today, first about Ron, and then about the Sorting-"

"Are they always like that?" Sophia giggled.

"If you mean annoying, then yes." The redhead snorted. She was thin, covered in freckles, and was wearing a gingham print dress that didn't seem to fit her properly. "I thought I'd seen the worst of it with Percy, honestly, kissing up to Mum and babbling about how he couldn't find our brother Ron and that I had to sit with him- honestly, the second I manage to get away in came Fred and George teasing me about my diary." She wrinkled her nose. "Which I only write in to forget I have to deal with the lot of them, mind you!"

"So you must know loads about Hogwarts already!" Sophia sat forward eagerly.

Ginny blushed, looking embarrassed. "I guess so. Do you know what house you want to be sorted into?"

"Not really," Sophia admitted. "I suppose I know where I ought to be sorted. What about you?"

"I don't know either," Ginny said. "It's what I've been telling Tom- I mean, my whole family's been in Gryffindor for as long as I can remember, so that's probably where I'll be sorted."

Before Sophia could ask if Tom was another one of her siblings, the sliding glass door opened again. "Anything from the trolley dears?"

Ginny's cheeks went scarlet as she mumbled about not being hungry, but Sophia stood up instantly. "We'll take two cartons of every flavor beans and three chocolate frogs," she said, reaching for the spending money Cyrus had given her that morning. "Ginny, what's your favorite?"

"You don't have to-"

"I want to." Sophia pulled her new friend to her feet with a laugh. "What else am I supposed to spend it on? If I buy myself anymore chocolate _I'll_ be the one looking like a frog."

A train ride and a trip across the Black lake later, Sophia and the other first years were standing in a huddle before a stern looking witch who had greeted them at the door. She introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, the deputy Headmistress, and led them to what looked to be another entrance, peering around at them sternly as they watched in anxious silence, Sophia's heart pounding as she took in her surroundings.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said crisply. "As many of you already know, before we can begin the banquet we must have you sorted into your houses. For those of you who aren't already aware, the students here at Hogwarts are separated into four houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Your house here at Hogwarts will be something like your family. Each year, you will work together with other members of your house to try and win the house cup. I hope that each of you will become a credit to whatever house that you are sorted into." 

Sophia bit her lip nervously, butterflies flitting in her stomach as the stern looking witch continued. "Now that all of you are here, the Sorting Ceremony can take place. Follow me, and I advise each of you to be on your best behavior. This will be your first impression on your future teachers and classmates." She instructed. Heart pounding, Sophia sandwiched herself behind another first year boy and in front of Ginny as they walked through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. Inside, thousands of candles were floating in midair over four long tables, where the older students were already sitting. The tables were already set, making her stomach rumble enviously.

They walked to the top of the hall. Sophia’s racing heart refused to slow, and she wondered if other people could hear it as well. She edged closer to the boy in front of her, eager to get the whole ceremony over with. No one said anything. Professor McGonagall silently placed a wooden stool in front of them. On top of the stool she put a ragged, pointed wizard's hat.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." Professor McGonagall explained. She held up the parchment and called the first name. "Afshari, Ebin!" A dark haired boy sat down on the stool and put on the hat. There was a moments pause.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted. The table second from the left cheered as Ebin went to sit down.

"Brown, Lilac!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The names ticked by as Sophia desperately tried to steel her nerves, not sure _what_ house she wanted. She knew what she should be hoping for, Slytherin, but not for the first time she couldn't help wondering what her life would be like were it not for her obligations to live up to her family name. Finally, with only ten students left, Sophia's name was called.

"Labonair, Sophia!"

Sophia stepped forward, taking a purposeful breath. She felt so small as she walked to the stool, the four long tables dead silent, save a few whispers. She tried her best to look dignified, shoulders back and chin held high as she sat on the stool and gripped the edges, squeezing her eyes shut as the hat dropped over her eyes, obscuring her vision. She waited. To her surprise, a tiny voice spoke in her ear and she jolted. There were a few laughs from students at the tables.

_"Hello Miss Labonair. Surprised to hear me?"_ Sophia gripped the edges of the stool tighter. _"Oh? It looks like you've already made up your mind where you'll be sorted. But if you're so certain, why are you still so afraid?"_

_I'm not afraid_ , Sophia argued, but her shallow breathing betrayed her as the hat laughed. _I know where I belong_.

_"Is that so?"_ The hat spoke quietly. _"Well if that's the case..."_

Sophia gripped the seat so hard she was sure her knuckles had turned white, her heart pounding in her chest. "SLYTHERIN!" roared the hat. Applause erupted from the table on the far left as Professor McGonagall removed the hat from Sophia's head. Shakily, heart still threatening to beat out of her chest Sophia walked over to the table. She caught Draco's eye, the faintest hint of a smile on his face. She sat down at the end of the table quickly, worried her knees would buckle if she stood for much longer.

"You had me worried for a minute."

"Shut up," said Sophia, still shaking.

"Lovegood, Luna!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

More names. Sophia was finding it difficult to concentrate, she was so relieved. She kept looking over at Draco, imagining her parents' delight when they heard where she'd been sorted. 

"Weasley, Ginny!" This caught Sophia's attention. She watched as her new friend hurried over to the stool, face as red as her hair. _Weasley_. So that was it.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted. A scoff sounded from beside her.

"Figures the newest Weasley would be in Gryffindor." Draco said, not even pretending to clap.

"She didn't tell me she was a Weasley," said Sophia quietly.

"What do you-"

But before he could finish his sentence, McGonagall was already calling out the next name. As the final few names were called, the feeling gradually returned to Sophia's legs. At last, the ceremony was over. Heaps of food appeared all across the four long tables, steaming plates of steak and potatoes, drumsticks, buttered rolls and steamed broccoli. There seemed to be no end to it-- down in the center of the table Sophia could have sworn she saw what looked like several entire lobsters. 

"I was waiting for you on the train, you know. After all the fuss my mother made about me being welcoming, and you never showed."

"I can't imagine it was that much of a disappointment," she said sarcastically. "You always said I'd embarrass you when I finally got to Hogwarts."

"You still might," Draco teased with a grin. "All stubborn and whiny."

"Shut up!" said Sophia, but they were laughing.

But as the feast continued, she found her eyes wandering once more to the redheaded girl with the easy laugh, the first genuine friend Sophia had ever made without her parents forcing them together. She was sitting with three other boys, all with hair as red as her own, scowling and whacking one of them over the head as one of the others burst into laughter.

Ginny looked up, and Sophia raised her arm to wave, but to her surprise Ginny frowned slightly, turning away almost immediately as her eyes lingered on Draco, still beside her. Sophia's insides twisted. She knew enough about the Weasleys to know that they weren't exactly on the best of terms with the other families. While Cyrus and Iliana rarely talked about such things in front of their daughter, she knew enough from her frequent dinners with the Malfoy family that they at least held no sympathy for the Weasley family. _Bloodtraitors, the lot of them,_ Lucius Malfoy had sneered.

"Hi," a voice startled Sophia out of her thoughts. Across the table sat a girl who Sophia recognized as being sorted before her, with long light brown hair in tight ringlets and startling hazel eyes. "I'm Lola- Lola Caruso. I'm a first year too."

"Oh! Hi," said Sophia, extending a hand. "I'm Sophia Labonair. It's nice to meet you."

"What a _relief_ ," Lola sank back against her chair after shaking her hand. "To be honest, I was still so nervous after my Sorting I wasn't paying attention to anything that was happening up there. You have no idea how embarrassed I'd be if it turned out you were a second year."

Sophia furrowed her eyebrows, feigning confusion. "I _am_ a second year."

"What? Oh no! I'm so sorry-" But Lola broke off once Sophia started laughing.

"Kidding," she said, still giggling. "I couldn't help it! It was too easy-"

"I suppose I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Lola grinned sheepishly. "I was already a bit worried you were a second year, what with that boy you were talking to earlier." She was gesturing to someone further down the table. Sophia turned to see that Draco had gotten up, now sitting with a couple of other second year students and laughing at something one of them had said. "Who is he?"

"Oh," said Sophia, rolling her eyes. "Nobody important. Our parents are friends," she explained, not wanting to get into it. Lola shrugged, but gasped when she looked down. "What?" asked Sophia.

"Look!" Lola snatched at something, holding it up for Sophia to see. "Cakes!"

And with the sounds of laughter echoing around them, Sophia took a deep breath, steeling herself for the road ahead.

**Hi again!!! Thank you for deciding to continue on to the first chapter! I hope this one wasn't too boring, I hated writing all the ceremony and boat ride filler stuff but I thought it would be too jarring to have another time skip after I had already used one to cut the train ride down. As you can see, Sophia and Draco have an interesting relationship that I'll get a little bit more into in some upcoming chapters, I just didn't want to turn the beginning into an information dump. Anyways, if you enjoyed this chapter (or didn't) it would mean a lot to me if you wrote a comment sharing your thoughts about the story! I'm really interested in hearing what you think about it since I've never done something like this before. I have big plans for this story and I hope you'll stick around to see them with me. Anyways, I think this author's note is getting a little long so I'll leave it at that, I hope you guys are doing well and that I can count on seeing you in the next chapter!**

**\- Maddi**

**DISCLAIMER: I take no credit for the works of JK Rowling or her writing used in the books. Because Sophia is a Slytherin and a year younger than Harry and friends I have the ability to write some scenes a little differently, but as I am trying to keep this story as accurate to the original books as possible some dialogue and events that occur will be almost exactly the same as what appears in the original books. I do not take credit for the world JK Rowling has created or the events of her books, only Sophia's solo adventures and changes I have made to the plot to fit her into the story and expand on some of the Slytherin students I feel weren't given the due representation they deserved :)**


	3. Chapter 2 || New Friends (Year One)

**That Thursday, standing with a frown in front of her cauldron, Sophia realized she was no good at Potions.** Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the professor was walking around glowering at each of them, looking very much like an overgrown bat in his black cape, or maybe it was the fact that Ginny Weasley was very pointedly ignoring her, despite being stationed at her table. 

"Is it supposed to look like this?" Sophia wrinkled her nose, peering into her cauldron. "It looks weird. And smells."

"It should be fine. I think..." Lola said uncertainly as a large bubble drifted lazily to the murky green surface, bursting with quiet pop.

Sophia craned her neck, looking into another Slytherin boy's cauldron. The potion was a clear emerald green. "Maybe we should start over," she said uneasily.

"Snape's checking them in three minutes! Besides, it's not like she's going to help." Lola gestured irritably to Ginny, who was bent over her textbook, carefully ignoring them. " _Helloooo!_ Gryffindor girl!"

"Just leave her," Sophia said, although she felt annoyance stirring in the pit of her stomach. "We can still fix it if we hurry-"

"I don't even know where to start," Lola slumped against the wall. "Maybe we can just convince Snape to go easy since it was just the two of us."

Sophia glanced at Snape, who was glaring at another student, ladling some of the potion up and allowing it to splash back into the cauldron. It was the same green as theirs. "I don't think so." She said.

At that precise moment, however, Snape spoke. "Times up," he said. "All materials down. If I see anyone trying to continue working, it'll be ten house points." Sophia and Lola exchanged a look, but put away the bag of lacewing flies they had been sprinkling into the cauldron. From the other side of the table, Ginny shut their textbook with a small snap.

"If we go down, I'm taking her down with me," muttered Lola out of the corner of her mouth.

_"Shut up,"_ Sophia whispered as Snape approached them. Both girls straightened up immediately. He eyed them disinterestedly.

"Is this yours?"

Sophia nodded. He looked back at her before examining the potion more closely, straightening up with a sneer.

"Do you recall, Miss Labonair, what color the potion was supposed to be?"

At the table closest to them, the Slytherin boy she had been watching stiffened slightly.

"Green, sir." Sophia said. Before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out- "And it is."

She regretted speaking immediately. Snape's eyes narrowed, sharp as knives, and she recognized instantly that he was not the type of professor who would allow himself to be contradicted. 

"This," he breathed, towering over her, "is not green. This is the color you get when you add too many crushed beetles, which can also make it bubble if the solution is unstable." No sooner had he finished speaking than another bubble floated to the top, a second following almost immediately. "If I gave someone this potion to drink, Miss Labonair, their boils would not vanish. In fact, they would be lucky not to suffer a vomiting fit from the stench. You, Miss Caruso, and Miss Weasley have all failed this assignment."

Sophia's cheeks burned. She stared back at him, fighting to keep her expression neutral as she bit back the retort she knew would make things even worse. Next to her, Lola scuffed the toe of her shoe on the ground. Ginny Weasley was staring at the floor, but Sophia could see that there was a red flush creeping up to the roots of her flaming red hair.

When Sophia stayed silent, Snape turned away, apparently satisfied. "Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Next time, I won't be so forgiving, but as it is the first day-" he glanced at Sophia with a glare that was rather harder than before. "I won't take house points for your insolence."

Annoyance gave way to anger when she caught sight of Ginny. She was still looking away, nose in the air as if it had been Sophia and Lola who had been ignoring her rather than the other way around. _This was her fault,_ Sophia thought. _If they'd had help — if it hadn't been just them-_

"Hey."

It was the boy from before, now turned to face her as he leaned against his table. She recognized him with a start as the proud boy she had stood behind from the Sorting, now in his Slytherin robes. He had a haughty gaze and a sharp jawline, brown hair in tight curls much like Lola’s.

**"** Kaleb Gautier," he introduced himself. "You're Sophia Labonair, aren't you?"

"Yes," she whispered irritably. "But if you don't mind, I've already gotten yelled at once —"

The corners of his lips tilted upward ever so slightly. "I know. You let him."

"What are you talking about?" She didn't even attempt to hide her exasperation as Lola elbowed her, putting a finger to her lips as Snape continued to walk around checking their cauldrons.

Kaleb's eyes glittered as they remained laser focused on hers, gesturing to Ginny, who was obviously pretending she wasn't listening with her head in her textbook. "You could have ratted her out. I saw the two of you working alone. Why didn't you tell him?"

Sophia narrowed her eyes, returning to face her cauldron. "That's none of your business."

"Considering he almost took house points from Slytherin, I disagree."

Sophia turned back to look at him, beginning to feel annoyed. "It was _our_ potion. _We_ did it wrong. And again, it's really none of _your_ business."

_"Sophia,"_ hissed Lola, looking fearfully at Professor Snape only a few tables away.

"I'm surprised, that's all. I didn't expect a Selwyn to risk her neck for a bloodtraitor." The room suddenly went very still as students all around them froze, Ginny among them. Lola sucked in a breath as Snape turned, but before anyone could do anything Sophia had whirled around to face him.

"Sorry, I didn't realize being a Selwyn meant all my friends were made for me," she snapped. "Obviously, you seem to know more about it than I do —"

But Kaleb's eyes were on something behind her. She turned in horror to see Snape looming over her. "Miss Labonair, that is the second time you've behaved inappropriately. 10 points from Slytherin, and next time it will be detention."

But from across the table, Ginny was looking at her too, face as red as her hair as for the first time since the Sorting, she smiled.

In the days that followed, Sophia saw that she had made a very pointed impression on the rest of her fellow first years, although not entirely on purpose. The other Gryffindor students who had been present for their Potions lesson now seemed to view her in a begrudging respect, and she and Ginny, who had apologized profusely for ignoring her since the Sorting, were once again friends.

"I saw you and Malfoy together," she had confessed in the corridor as they walked to their separate classes, Lola in tow. "I thought — well, he had already insulted me before. And when it looked like you were friends, I thought you'd share his view about me."

Lola wrinkled her nose. "Anti-Muggle sentiment doesn't just exist in Slytherin house, you know."

Ginny had looked down at her shoes, mumbling. "I know. It was stupid. I’m sorry — I should have helped you with the potion."

"No kidding," Sophia laughed. "But I'm just glad we're friends again."

Ginny's cheeks were tinged pink as they stopped outside of the Transfiguration classroom, the next class for first year Gryffindors. "Me too." She had said. "I'll see you guys Tuesday."

The other Slytherin first years were a different story. While Lola had just been annoyed they failed the assignment, Levi Koh, a boy with short, ink black hair and matching eyes had made clear his negative feelings on so called 'bloodtraitors.' Noah Hashim's reaction had been difficult to gauge, watching her curiously over their Charms assessment. Cecily Fayne, a girl with immaculately styled long blonde waves had approached her in the dormitory that night, asking if she was really a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight bloodlines. And of course there was Kaleb. Wherever she went, she felt his eyes on her from across the room. She had never seen him before the Sorting, and yet he acted as though he knew her from somewhere. How had he known she was a Selwyn? Before him, no one seemed to have put the two together. Unless Draco could have told someone, but even then, that didn't feel likely.

Snape had only grown more disdainful of her as the days passed, although he hadn't taken any more points from Slytherin. When the time came for him to grade their potions he seemed extra harsh with hers, but having learned her lesson from the class earlier, she did a better job of keeping her mouth shut. Her other classes weren't exactly easier, but they were mostly manageable. History of Magic was dull, but easy enough as she had prior knowledge from growing up with a history buff for a father. Transfiguration was as difficult as she could have expected, taught by the stern witch from the Sorting. But it was Defense Against the Dark Arts that Sophia was most disappointed about.

"I've never been so bored." Sophia hissed under her breath. "Ever."

Lola snorted. "Tell me about it. Maybe if he keeps talking we won't have to do any actual schoolwork, at least."

But at that precise moment, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart pulled a stack of parchment off his desk, flashing a toothy grin. "-and so, I thought it would be a bit of a fun first assignment to start today off with a quiz. Just to give me a sort of benchmark of where you all are starting off and how well you understood the books you read over the summer, not to worry--" Next to her, Lola groaned audibly and Sophia covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. 

Lockhart floated around the classroom, dropping the test papers in front of each student. "Right then, you have thirty minutes! Start -- _now_!"

"He's got to be joking," Sophia whispered instantly. "' _What's Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?'_ Is he mad? And why is the parchment lavender?"

_"Fifty-four questions?"_ That was what Lola was stuck on, eyes wide in disbelief. "I can't do this. He's out of his mind if he thinks any of us actually opened one of these-"

Sophia bit her lip in disappointment, bending over the purple parchment to begin scribbling out her answers. Defense Against the Dark Arts was the class that she had been looking forward to the most. Draco hadn't been able to stop raving about it during the Christmas holidays last year, the first time she'd seen him since he'd left for Hogwarts before her.

_"It's the best class at Hogwarts, Soph." He had said, flourishing his new wand with a grin. "We learn all sorts of new spells — nothing too dangerous, but even still."_

_Sophia, ten, was hanging on his every word. "And about dark creatures, right? Like werewolves and vampires?"_

_"Yeah. And I have top marks, better than any other Slytherin first years, Quirrell said so. I'm going to be_ _an Auror one day."_

_She scooted closer eagerly. "Tell me what it's like."_

_"Again?" He sighed, but when he turned to face her there was the faintest of smiles on his face. "Oh, alright. It's a school. There's classes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions, and History of Magic. We have assignments and exams and there's Quidditch. Next year I'll be on the team for sure."_

_"Not that stuff! I want to hear about the people. The teachers and the houses."_

_"Well the only important one is Slytherin, you already know that. I dunno. People tend to sort of keep to the people in their year. Our head of house is Snape. He's alright, I guess. Better than McGonagall."_

_"Who's that?"_

_"She's the head of Gryffindor house and the Transfiguration professor. She's a nightmare, honestly, always unfair and favoring that Potter and Weasley. Don't even bother trying to talk yourself out of a punishment with her, you'll be wasting your time."_

_"Maybe she just doesn't like you." She had teased._

"What do you reckon his favorite color is?" Lola's hiss cut through her thoughts.

"Blue, maybe?" said Sophia. "It's what he's wearing."

"I'm putting lilac." Lola mumbled. "Maybe you should too."

Half an hour later, Lockhart was collecting their papers, returning to the front of the class to read over them. "What a disappointment," he clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You aren't the first class to perform so dismally on the first quiz. Hardly any of you remembered my birthday. It's January 26, I'm _obviously_ an Aquarius. And only one of you remembered that my favorite color, as well as favorite flower is the _lilac_. That's very important,"

Sophia turned to Lola with an incredulous grin, her mouth open. "You _knew!_ I bet you did read his books, didn't you?"

Her friend turned a faint shade of pink. "I might have skimmed through them. Before I found out he was a self-obsessed prick." Sophia pretended to gag, giggling and ducking under her arm as Lola swatted at her. "You know, I wouldn't have guessed you were from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight bloodlines."

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno," said Lola. "Not in a bad way. You're just... different."

And turning back to face Lockhart, Sophia allowed her thoughts to return to her family, pushing aside the guilt rising in her chest. They had always been so careful, raising her to be traditional, to respect the old ways. She knew their position as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, as a family that enjoyed high status among other Wizarding families, was precarious. There was a lot about the Labonair family that caused others in their circle to whisper behind their hands, searching for any weakness they could exploit. And like it or not, Sophia had always been the weak link.

Too stubborn, too hot-tempered, too proud. Her father had warned her to learn to hold her tongue, to watch what she said in the company of others, but she had never been any good at it. It was probably why her grandmother thought she was such a disappointment. Her stomach twisted with the knowledge that she might have caused damage to her family's reputation, mind racing as she imagined the disappointed faces of her mother and father, the way they always looked when she said the wrong thing in front of company, despite their assurances that it was okay, that she just had to be more careful.

But still... Sophia shut her eyes, heart pounding in her chest as she pictured Iliana and Cyrus in front of her.

_Sorry dad. Sorry mum. But I have to find my own way now._

**Are there already 10 hearts on this story??? I can't believe it, I literally just published this a day ago! I want to give a quick shoutout to[Angeles](https://www.quotev.com/DoggoAngel), who was the first person to favorite this story, and also to [Caz](https://www.quotev.com/cazie24), who was the first person to comment on this story!!! I'm so glad that at least someone other than me is enjoying this silly little story, I actually thought about starting in Sophia's third year or something because I was worried this would be boring, but I really wanted to build her character from the beginning and show things as they happened. Don't worry, she will eventually meet Harry, Ron and Hermione, but you'll have to stay tuned to see when that will happen! Anyways, I'll stop rambling now, thank you so much again for reading this story and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**\- Maddi**


	4. Chapter 3 || Mudbloods and Bloodtraitors (Year One)

**"He's nobody,"** Lola mocked in a high pitched voice, fluttering her eyelashes. "Just a family friend. Not the new Slytherin Seeker or anything."

_"Shut up!"_ Sophia's cheeks burned as she elbowed her friend in the ribs. "Don't make me regret bringing you along,"

"Okay, okay." said Lola, practically glowing. "I'm just excited. He really asked you specifically to come watch?"

"I guess. He just wanted to show off, probably. Shh — there they are."

A few weeks had passed since the events of the Potion class and fall had officially begun. The air outside the castle had grown colder, the warmth from inside the greenhouses at Hogwarts providing a welcome relief from the stinging breeze that whistled through the trees, causing leafless branches to whip against the windows. Halloween was fast approaching, and with it the much anticipated first Quidditch match of the season with Slytherin against Gryffindor. Draco Malfoy had pulled her aside in the common room the other night, telling her excitedly that he'd made Seeker and wanted her to be there for his first Quidditch practice. Were it not for Lola's obsession with all things Quidditch she would have turned him down, but as it was, she agreed on the condition that she could bring her friend.

Now, seeing the group of Slytherins in their Quidditch robes, Lola let out an excited sort of squeak from her right.

"-right then, are we ready?" it was Marcus Flint who was speaking, a burly sixth year boy with jet black hair. "Hold on, who are they?" He was turned toward Sophia and Lola, who had now caught up to them.

"I invited them," Draco stepped forward, moving towards Sophia. "Just to watch, they won't be in the way." He smiled, but there was something mischievous in it she recognized from their childhood. It was the same look he had worn when they would sneak around, hiding from his mother and the house elves in the cupboard, pockets stuffed with chocolate. Sophia quirked an eyebrow, and Draco's smile widened as if to say _'you'll see.'_

"Alright," said Flint. "Stay in the stands when we get on the pitch, got it? We aren't going to hold back, and the last thing we need is for one of you to get clobbered by a Bludger. We won last year, and this year we're keeping that cup or we die trying."

The other players, all boys much taller than Sophia, Lola, and Draco let out cheers and whoops before following Marcus Flint as he set off to the Quidditch pitch. Draco lingered behind, walking alongside Sophia and Lola.

"Thought you weren't coming." he said, smirking. "You know, after keeping your distance since you got to Hogwarts. I was beginning to think you were hiding something."

"Is it that hard to believe I've made other friends?" She flashed an innocent smile. "I still don't know why you even wanted me to be here."

"My mother sent me a letter," he shrugged. "This must be your friend. I'm Malfoy — Draco Malfoy."

"The new Slytherin seeker! I know," said Lola, drawing herself up to her full height. "I'm Lola Caruso. I play Beater, and next year they're going to put me on the team, they just don't know it yet. Is that really the new _Nimbus Two Thousand and One_?"

"Here," said Draco, tossing the broomstick to her to hold. He turned back to Sophia, suddenly serious as he lowered his voice so Lola, still admiring the broomstick, wouldn't hear. "People have been talking about you, you know."

Before she could ask him what he meant, a shout cut across the field.

"Flint!" A tall sixth-year boy in Gryffindor Quidditch robes was storming over, face very red. Behind him, four other boys landed, still holding their broomsticks.

"Here it comes," said Draco, glowing with glee. Before Sophia could say anything, he had already brushed past her to join the rest of the team.

"This is our practice time!" the Gryffindor boy was saying. "We got up specially! You can clear off now!"

Marcus Flint merely shrugged. "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

"But I booked the field!" said Wood. "I booked it!" Behind him, even more people had come to where they were all standing, three older girls who looked at Flint icily.

"Ah," he said. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. _'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'_ "

"You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came the much smaller figure of Draco Malfoy, a smirk on his pale, pointed face.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said a boy Sophia recognized instantly as Fred Weasley, Ginny's older brother. He was looking at Draco in disdain.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled even more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

All seven of the Slytherin Quidditch players held out their broomsticks, seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words _Nimbus Two Thousand and One_ gleamed under their noses in the early morning sun.

"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking an invisible speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" — he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives — "sweeps the board with them."

The Gryffindor team was silent for a moment. Sophia looked to Draco, who was smirking broadly, grey eyes glittering coldly. She drew in a breath as Fred and George turned to her with identical looks of annoyance.

"Hey _Snips_ ," said Fred, eyes narrowed. "I didn't know you were friendly with Malfoy."

"Not that it's any of your business," Draco jeered as Fred's cheeks reddened. Before he or Sophia could say anything, Flint was speaking again. 

"Oh, look," he said. "A field invasion."

Another redheaded boy Sophia hadn't yet met and a girl with a lot of very bushy brown hair were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" he asked the smallest Gryffindor player, with dark hair and round glasses. "Why aren't you playing? And what's _he_ doing here?" He was looking at Draco.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Draco smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the broomsticks my father's bought our team."

The boy, another of Ginny's brothers Sophia guessed, gaped at them.

"Good, aren't they?" said Draco smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." Around them, the Slytherin team laughed loudly, Sophia shifting her weight in discomfort

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to _buy_ their way in," the bushy haired girl said sharply. " _They_ got in on pure talent."

The smug look on Draco's face flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

Flint had to dive in front of Draco to stop Fred and George jumping on him. One of the older Gryffindor girls shrieked, _"How dare you!"_ , and Ginny's other brother plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Draco's face. 

_"No!"_ Sophia cried, wrenching out of Lola's grip but it was too late. A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of the boy's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you alright?" the girl who had walked with him onto the pitch squealed.

Ron opened him mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave a loud belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap. The Slytherin team was paralyzed with laughter while the Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him.

The first person to step forward was the Gryffindor boy with the round glasses, grabbing one of Ron's arms. "We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," he said to the bushy-haired girl who nodded. Together, the pulled him to his feet, the boy reaching up to push his sweaty bangs off his forehead. Sophia drew in a breath with realization as the boy's lighting shaped scar came into view. There was no mistaking it. _It was Harry Potter._

They dragged Ron away, leaving the Slytherin team still howling with laughter in their wake. The rest of the Gryffindor team was still there however, and they whirled on the Slytherins with a new fury.

"Absolutely disgusting-" Wood was saying, red splotches all over his face and neck. "Stealing the Quidditch pitch — shouting slurs — I've half a mind to report you, you know —"

"For what?" Flint swiped at his eyes, chest heaving as he attempted to catch his breath. "Technically, you lot are the ones who aren't supposed to be here. And none of us heard anything funny, did we?" He gestured around at the Slytherins gathered on the pitch, most of them still laughing.

Fred snatched his broomstick, pulling at Wood's arm with a scowl. "C'mon Wood," he muttered. "Let's get out of here."

But as the Gryffindors grumbled to each other, moving past them to leave the way Sophia, Lola and Draco had just come through, Fred's gaze found Sophia again. "I thought you were better than that," he snapped, shouldering past her roughly.

Draco turned to Sophia with a grin, but she brought her hands up to his chest and shoved him hard, sending him stumbling backwards.

"What is wrong with you, Draco?"

"Soph!" He yanked his robes straight angrily. "It was just a joke, it was Flint's idea —"

"You think I'm talking about the Quidditch field?" She laughed derisively, cheeks flushed as she turned to leave. "I'm out of here. Get someone else to watch your practice, because it won't be me."

Draco caught her arm, whirling her back around to face him. "Really? Because I heard about the stunt you pulled in Potions. Do you think your mummy and daddy would be proud of the types of people you're choosing to defend?" His grey eyes glittered maliciously. "It'd be a shame if you made things even worse for them than you already have."

Red hot anger burned in Sophia's veins as she wrenched her arm out of his grip. "That's none of your business," she snapped. "We're leaving. Come on, Lola. And for the record, I hope Gryffindor pulverizes the lot of you in the upcoming match."

And with her words still hanging in the air, Sophia spun on her heel and stalked off, Lola scurrying after her.

During the weeks that passed as raindrops pelted the castle windows for days on end, Sophia couldn't go anywhere without seeing Draco's scathing glare, angry with how she had humiliated him in front of his new Quidditch friends. Part of her wished she could apologize, but apologizing to Draco would have meant saying she was wrong, and she couldn't. She dreaded to think of what her parents would say if Draco, true to his word were to write his father about her, but she forced herself to push it out of her mind.

_"She's so different," Iliana had sobbed one night outside her door. "She's just like her — doesn't know to keep quiet, to play it safe. If she'd only played it safe, Cyrus —"_

_"I know, love. But she'll learn."_

_"It's our fault, you know. We let her get away with too much. I'm scared for her, Cyrus."_

"Ugh!" Sophia raked a hand through her hair, pacing back and forth across the empty bathroom. _What was wrong with her?_ Why did she feel the need to fight back at every turn? It wasn't like she could actually change anything. Her parents needed her. They had never said so, had allowed her to play and laugh and act, for a while, as the child that she had been but her grandmother Artemisa Selwyn hid nothing.

_"You're their last hope," she had said, eyes glittering. "If by some miracle you succeed, you'll bring both the Labonair and Selwyn name back to high renown. And if you fail, even you can't bring it back from the dead."_

So why was it so hard for her? Why did she feel like sitting still, being complacent with her predetermined fate was impossible? A tear rolled down her cheek, hot and wet, and she swiped at it irritably, sniffling.

"What are _you_ crying about?" a voice startled her and Sophia scrambled to her feet. The ghost of a young girl was staring at her suspiciously, with long limp hair and thick glasses.

"I wasn't crying —" Sophia began immediately but the ghost rolled her eyes.

"Of course you weren't," said the ghost. "Only _babies_ cry, isn't that right? Only ugly, miserable, moping, moaning girls like _Myrtle_ cry, don't they?" She whirled on Sophia, suddenly furious. "Well _I'm_ Myrtle, and I don't want you here! Get out!"

"Fine! I was crying," Sophia snapped. "I came here because I didn't want to be seen, but now I know why nobody ever wants to step foot in this bathroom! Maybe if you were a bit kinder —"

"Kinder?" Myrtle howled. "That's a good one! You're the one who was lying to me like I don't have eyes —"

But Sophia had already left, slamming the door shut behind her.

**Hi again!!! I'm working on an extended summary to replace the prologue, but I'm not sure if I should because honestly I'm a bit intimidated by some of the newer layouts, but I love the way they look! Anyway, shoutout to[Mal](https://www.quotev.com/MalS45) for leaving such a sweet comment on the story, honestly it means so much to me when people do that because it makes me feel like I'm not talking to myself, haha! Anyways, here's some more writing info if you wanted it: I picture this, Sophia's first year (or Harry and Draco's second year) to be the shortest year of the book, probably with only about 10 chapters and maybe a little bit more because I'm really impatient to get started with some of the cooler parts of the story! I thought Chamber of Secrets was a great place to start though because it really establishes the Pureblood elitism of some of the older families. But don't worry, I will eventually get into more about Sophia's family and their relationship with the Malfoys, but right now all you get are hints because I like foreshadowing lol. This author's note is getting really long so I'm going to stop here, but as always, thank you so much for reading and I should be getting Chapter Four out pretty soon!**

**\- Maddi**


	5. Chapter 4 || The Chamber of Secrets (Year 1)

**October 31, 1992 marked the beginning of the end for Sophia Labonair.** When Sophia would look back on her life at sixteen years old, this would be the day she remembered most of all, because this was the day when things began to change. It was the events leading up to October 31, however, that caused things to unfold the way they did, and when Sophia looked back on that fateful day during her first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the end began with Ginny Weasley and a small black diary.

"You can't carry around a diary like that and expect us not to wonder what's inside," Lola said. "I haven't seen you without it since September."

"I bet you even sleep with it under your pillow, don't you?" Sophia was ahead, twirling back to face them with a laugh.

"She does!" Lola was triumphant at Ginny’s already reddening face. "She definitely does-"

"You both are so immature! Honestly, it's a wonder neither of you have been hexed." Ginny rolled her eyes, holding the diary tighter to her chest, but there was no malice in her words.

"Sophia's the one wanting to do the hexing," teased Lola. "You should have seen her, Ginny, first with Kaleb, then with- _Ow!_ " She whirled around to glare at the dark-haired girl, but Sophia only smiled innocently, laughing as she continued down the candle-lit corridor.

They had just come back from the library, working together on a last minute essay Professor Snape had assigned after a Gryffindor boy named Colin Creevy's potion had exploded, showering the lot of them in boiling golden liquid. The essay was on unstable substances, something he had added with a sneer would be particularly useful to the three of them. It was late, the sky outside the windows dark now that the sun had sunk below the horizon. Sophia and Lola had taken to teasing Ginny about her diary, which she brought with her everywhere. Ginny was fiercely protective of it, refusing to let anyone see it and walking around as though in a daze, the diary clutched tightly to her chest.

"Sophia?"

They turned around and her heart sank. It was Draco, standing alone in the dimly lit corridor, torchlight reflecting off his silvery-blond hair. He frowned when he caught sight of Ginny, and she returned the glare without hesitation.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, eyes darting behind them to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, a hidden door behind a portrait of a glamorous fat lady, who was listening in curiously.

"Nothing!" said Sophia. “We were just coming back from the library. Potions essay."

His eyes narrowed. "The dungeons are the other way."

"What's it to you?" Ginny snapped. "It's not any of your concern."

"Actually, Weasley, it does concern me. Besides, I don't remember asking your opinion."

"Leave it alone, Draco. We were studying together, we're walking her back."

"She's got legs of her own, hasn't she?"

Ginny scoffed. "Whatever. See you, Soph, Lola." And still clutching her diary, Ginny uttered the password to the woman in the portrait, climbing through the entrance when the door swung open.

Draco's eyes didn't leave Sophia, who hadn't moved away from the portrait hole. "You'd better get down to the dungeons," he said. "It's almost curfew."

"Fine," said Sophia. "We were just leaving." The two girls hurried away from him as he watched them make their way down the stairs.

"Merlin's beard," Lola whispered. "What's his deal? I know he's friends with your family or whatever, but-"

"It's complicated," Sophia said, looking over her shoulder as their footsteps echoed in the stairwell. "I don't want to talk about it."

_"Okay,"_ Lola rolled her eyes. "You know, you're lucky I like you. You're weird, mate."

In the days leading up to the Halloween festivities, Sophia and Lola both were a bubble of excitement. Halloween at Hogwarts was clearly a big deal. Carved jack-o-lanterns seemed to glow from every corner, and thousands of live, black bats swooped and fluttered all around the hall. The great pumpkins that sat at the entrance were large enough for Sophia, Lola, and Ginny to all sit comfortably inside, and every morning as Halloween came nearer they would wake to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the halls.

The only damper on their mood was Ginny Weasley. Their friend had become increasingly withdrawn, muttering to herself when she thought that no one was listening and strangely jumpy whenever any of them talked to her. Sophia had worried she was upset about Draco, but Lola had assured her that it was probably nothing, that maybe she had caught the cold that had been spreading like wildfire among the Hogwarts students as the weather turned dreary and damp.

By that point, however, Sophia had other worries. They had been assigned partners in Transfiguration, and much to her horror, she'd been paired with Kaleb. Lola had laughed out loud when Professor McGonnagall had made the announcement, but Sophia, eyes wide, had stood up immediately.

"Oh no Professor, can't it be anyone else? What about Lola?"

_"_ I'm hurt, Selwyn," Kaleb had said from his seat a row behind her. "What, do I smell?"

Professor McGonagall eyed her in disapproval for speaking out of turn, but answered nonetheless. "No, you may not partner anyone else. Miss Caruso will be partners with Miss Fayne. And frankly, Miss Labonair, I made the decision to split the two of you up because you have a habit of talking too much during lectures." A few people laughed as Sophia slumped back in her seat.

Once they had begun practicing, it took hardly any time at all before Sophia became frustrated. While Transfiguration wasn’t quite as bad as Potions, it was by no means easy, and Kaleb was annoyingly good at both subjects. 

"Could you not stand over my shoulder like that?" She burst one afternoon when her hedgehog refused to change. "You're messing me up."

"I don't think you need my help with that. You're pretty good at doing that all on your own."

Sophia turned to fix him with a glare. Kaleb was looking at her innocently, twirling his wand between his fingers as his own hedgehog sat on the table, now a perfect pincushion. "What's your deal?" she asked. "Why are you always looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you know something about me! And why do you always call me Selwyn?"

"It's your name, isn't it?" Kaleb shrugged. "And I really don't know what you mean. You're the one who's always staring at me. At the Sorting, copying off me in Potions...."

Sophia's cheeks darkened. "My name is Labonair."

His eyes narrowed, just slightly. "Why go by Labonair? If I were a descendant of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, I wouldn't hide it. I'd change my name now if I could."

Sophia turned away, returning her attention to her hedgehog. "It's my name. My mum took my dad's last name, and I inherited it. I still don't get why you're so interested."

He shrugged. "Who said I was interested?"

"You're impossible." She raised her wand, returning her focus to the little hedgehog on her desk. _"Mutalcita,"_ she muttered. The hedgehog rolled over on the desk, waving it's little feet in the air. She groaned.

"Look," said Kaleb. "You just have to imagine what you want it to become — use mine." He dropped his own sapphire blue pincushion onto the table in front of her. It squeaked softly.

"I was already doing that!" Sophia snapped.

"Well in that case, I guess you just aren't very good."

Sophia ignored him, pushing Kaleb's smug face out of her mind as she raised her wand once more, looking at Kaleb's perfect pincushion. In a flash of golden light, her hedgehog changed, feet and needles retracting into itself — a tiny pincushion of her own. "It worked!"

"Of course it did," said Kaleb. "Good job, Selwyn."

Sophia turned back, a retort already halfway out of her mouth, but stopped when she caught sight of his face. "Whatever," she said instead. The corners of his lips tilted upward once more.

"Can't we switch partners?" Lola had said as they walked together to meet Ginny before they would head into the Library to study together. "It isn't fair — you get someone we already used to copy off of, and I get stuck with 'shoes-for-brains' Cecily. I don't think I've ever met someone so dim-witted. How she got sorted into Slytherin is beyond me —"

"Be nice," said Sophia, but she was laughing. "People could say the same thing about you, you've got no work ethic."

"Work smarter, not harder," Lola sniffed. "I wasn't sorted in Hufflepuff for a reason."

But as they waited for Ginny outside of the Gryffindor portrait hole on October 31, they grew increasingly worried as the minutes passed and she still hadn't shown up. "Maybe she forgot?" Lola had suggested, but from the halfhearted way she spoke it was clear that she didn't really believe it. "We could just wait for her in the library, you know, so we at least get some work done while we wait."

"Yeah, maybe," said Sophia, but she couldn't keep her eyes from returning to the portrait of the fat lady.

But Ginny didn't come, and soon it was time to head downstairs for the Halloween feast. Lola had said that Ginny had probably just lost track of time and that they'd see her for sure at the feast, but as Sophia searched the faces of the Gryffindor table she saw that Ginny Weasley was nowhere among them. She was quickly driven out of Sophia's mind, however, when a letter from her parents fell onto her empty plate, dropped by a bat due to the Halloween festivities rather than an own. She didn't wait to open it, tearing the envelope roughly as she noticed Draco watching her from across the table in silence. Her heart hammered as she fumbled to unfold it, afraid of what might be written inside.

_My Dearest Sophia,_

_Your father and I haven't heard for you for over a month now. Are you doing alright? I don't mean to fuss, but you did promise to write, and we can't exactly drop by for a visit. How's Slytherin treating you? Have you made any other friends, aside from Lola? Your father and I are doing fine-- the house is awfully quiet without you. I think even Remy misses you, I caught him in your room the other day, standing with an broom like he'd forgotten you weren't there to track mud all over the house anymore. He made your favorite soup last night, but it didn't taste as good without you with us. Has Draco been there to help you find your way around? I hope so, Narcissa said she hasn't heard much from him either. Are you keeping on top of your schoolwork? We miss you darling, please write us back soon._

_All my love,_

_Mum_

Sophia's heart wrenched. She hadn't sent a letter back to either of her parents since her and Draco's argument on the Quidditch pitch several weeks ago. She was too afraid that Draco would have beaten her to it, telling his parents about what she had said, how very _un-Selwyn_ she had behaved, but from the looks of it —

She returned her gaze to the older Slytherin boy, who, to her surprise, was still watching her. His pale cheeks reddened slightly as he looked down, busying himself with spreading butter on a steaming bread roll. Had he told them yet? Was the Malfoy family just keeping it under wraps for now, hoping to get the upper hand? Or was he waiting for something? Sophia abruptly folded the letter, stuffing it into her pocket as she pushed away from the table, suddenly no longer hungry. 

She mumbled something to Lola about needing to use the bathroom before turning and half-walking, half-sprinting out of the Great Hall, her mind racing. She didn't know where she was going, leaving the main entrance and running up the marble staircase that led to the second floor, hurrying along the stone corridors until she reached the girl's bathroom, nearly slipping in the puddle of water that was just outside the door. She threw open the door, relieved when she saw that Myrtle had thrown herself into the toilet as Sophia stopped inside, leaning against the wall to catch her breath as her fingers reached for the edges of her mother's letter, her thoughts returning to Draco's face and how he had looked away.

"Sophia?"

Sophia looked up in shock to see the pale figure of Ginny Weasley swaying by one of the sinks, the bottom of her robes wet from the all the water on the floor. She noticed with a start that her friend was still clutching the small black diary in her hand. "Ginny!" She darted forward, eyes wide. "Are you okay?"

"I... I think so," Ginny pressed a hand against her head, wet like she had just washed it. "I don't remember."

"Where have you been? We were worried about you, first at the library, then at the feast —" She searched Ginny's face for any clue about where she had been or what she could have been doing, but Ginny's eyes were blank and confused.

Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get another word out a rumble of footsteps sounded from the direction of the Great Hall, telling them that the feast had just ended. From the bathroom where they stood they could hear sound of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs. However, it was the scream that caught her attention, turning her blood to ice. With another glance back at her friend, who had slumped to sit on the floor, Sophia left the bathroom. She fought her way through the crowd, trying to find what all the commotion was about as people crashed into her without bothering to say sorry, Sophia stopped in her tracks abruptly when she saw what awaited them further into the corridor.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as everyone in the crowd spotted something shining on the wall ahead. Sophia approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. 

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Mrs. Norris, Filch, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket, tied there in a knot. She was stiff and unmoving, her eyes wide and staring. Directly in front of the message were three second year students Sophia recognized with a start as the Gryffindors who had been on the Quidditch pitch, Harry Potter, Ginny's brother Ron, and the curly-haired Muggle-Born girl. They stood silent in the middle of the corridor until a voice cut across the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Sophia would have recognized that voice anywhere. She turned to see that Draco Malfoy had pushed to the front of the crowd to stand beside her, his grey eyes alive, usually pale face flushed, as he grinned at the sight of the hanging, immobile cat.

**Ahhh! I know I said I probably wouldn't update until Friday, but I couldn't help myself. This story is going to be the death of me and my GPA, just you wait haha. This chapter almost went in a very different direction but I decided against it at the last minute just because I wanted to lay down some more groundwork before we get to the real nitty gritty of the whole thing, but I'm (mostly) happy with how it turned out. Can we talk about Lola please?? I did not expect to like her as much as I do lol, but she's literally so funny I actually can't imagine this story without her now. This chapter was pretty difficult to write so I'll probably go back and edit it a little bit so I can get it up to my standards, but I wanted to get this chapter up as a thank you for 26 hearts???? I can't believe that I only published this story 4 days ago and that's how many of you are enjoying it so far! Thank you to everyone who has left a comment, I appreciate them so much and they really help my motivation to keep writing. Anyway, I'll stop here for right now as I really do need to finish my assignments if I don't want to fail the semester, but as always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**\- Maddi**


	6. Chapter 5 || The Dueling Club (Year 1)

**For days after the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, no one seemed able to talk about anything else.** Ginny Weasley flinched every time they walked past the wall where Filch hadn't yet been able to remove the message written there in blood, but all the students were relieved to learn that Mrs. Norris hadn't been killed, but was petrified. Professor Sprout, the Herbology professor, assured them all that once the Mandrakes were ready that they could be used to cure her and that everything would be back to normal.

Sophia was overwhelmed, trying to cheer her friend up as Ginny became increasingly sullen and jumpy and to avoid responding to her parents' letters in much detail, explaining that she was just really busy and that her classes had picked up speed. She didn't know how to casually bring up that she had discovered her bloodtraitor friend alone in a haunted bathroom acting like she didn't know who she was or where they were, or how she had found Mrs. Norris hanging from a torch bracket beside a terrifying message written on the wall in blood. _'Oh yeah, and then Draco threatened all the Muggle-born students with death! It's just like how I always pictured my first year to go!'_

That November, Colin Creevy, a Gryffindor boy who was in their Potions class had been attacked. That day, when Ginny had come in to class, she didn't say a thing to anyone. She sat wordlessly in her seat across from them, staring blankly ahead as she held the diary protectively against her chest, silent for the entire class period. Sophia and Lola were quiet as well, glancing every so often to where the Gryffindor boy had sat just days ago, where his potion had exploded, showering the lot of them in the bubbling golden liquid. Soon enough it was December, and Sophia and Lola were walking together past the Great Hall when they spied a group of people huddled around something posted there.

"What's going on?" Sophia asked.

Lola shrugged. "Dunno," They edged forward, spying a flyer posted on the notice board. Kaleb, Noah and Levi were there, as well as Cecily Fayne and a few other first years Sophia recognized from their classes.

"Hey, Selwyn," said Kaleb. "Going to try out the new Dueling Club tonight?"

That caught Sophia's attention. She'd always wanted to learn how to duel, but her parents had always put it off, saying that it wasn't time yet, that she was too young. Draco's father had taught him to duel when he was much younger, and Sophia had watched enviously as he showed her what he'd learned. _"I'll teach you once you get a wand of your own, Soph," he had said. "We can practice together."_

"— I'll be going of course, most of the school is really." He continued, cheeks flushed with excitement. "Just think — we'll really learn to defend ourselves, not like what that pathetic excuse for a professor Lockhart goes on about."

Sophia hid a smile as she and Lola made eye contact. Lockhart had taken to acting out his heroic accomplishments in front of the class, choosing random students to be actors in his exploits. So far Sophia had been forced to play the part of a grateful princess, an old hag who was really a banshee in disguise, and a tiger animagi who had been terrorizing a small village. Lola had somehow managed to worm her way out of every single one of the roles Lockhart had recommended for her, pressing a hand against her head and saying that she felt faint or that she had suddenly lost her voice and couldn't scream convincingly enough.

"I'm in," She said instantly, eyes flashing. "But only if you promise not to cry when I beat you."

"Deal," he said, laughing. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just 'cause you're a girl, Selwyn."

At eight o'clock that night the Slytherin first years made their way to the Great Hall, chatting excitedly. Once inside, it looked completely different than it had at dinner, a golden stage replacing the long dining tables they ordinarily sat at. The ceiling which normally displayed the sky outside Hogwarts was now pitch black save for the candles floating above them, the floor packed with students all carrying their wands and looking eager.

"Who do you think will be teaching us?" Lola hissed in her ear.

"Snape, maybe?" Sophia whispered back. "Or maybe it'll be student led —"

But no sooner had she finished speaking than Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage in plum colored robes. With him was Professor Snape, who looked like he'd rather be practically anywhere else. Lockhart waved an arm for silence, calling, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now," he continued. "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions — for full details, see my published works."

Lola rolled her eyes, but Sophia had to hide a smile when she saw that her friends cheeks were tinted pink as she looked up at the older wizard.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart was saying, flashing a grin that revealed every one of his gleaming teeth. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry — you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed. Lockhart looked ridiculous, twirling his hands a lot as he did so, but Snape just jerked his head, looking increasingly annoyed. They raised their wands, making eye contact.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told them. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course. One — two — three —“

Both wizards swung their wands as fast as they could, pointing them at each other. Snape was faster than Lockhart, he shouted: _"Expelliarmus!"_ and Lockhart was blasted off his feet in a dazzling flash of scarlet light. He flew with a loud crash into a wall and several students let out loud gasps as they cringed at the sudden impact. Lockhart climbed back onto the stage, wobbling quite a bit and not looking nearly as polished as he had at the start.

"Well, there you have it!" he said. "That was a Disarming Charm — as you see, I've lost my wand — ah, thank you, Miss Brown — yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy — however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."

Lockhart announced that he was going to split them up into pairs and he and Professor Snape made their way through the crowd, matching up partners. "You and me first," Kaleb said instantly to Sophia. "I want a real challenge."

"What am I, chopped liver?" Lola remarked irritably. "If Sophia doesn't destroy you, I will after."

A few moments later, the two professors had returned to the platform and Lockhart began to explain the expectations for dueling. "Face your partners!" he called. "And bow!"

Kaleb dipped into a graceful bow. The gesture was so natural coming from him that for a moment Sophia was surprised, but she pushed it out of her mind as she swept into a curtsy of her own.

"Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents-- _only_ to disarm them-- we don't want any accidents-- one... two... three--"

_"Expelliarmus!"_ They shouted at the same time. Their spells collided in midair, falling in a shower of sparks as neither of them were disarmed. All around them students were screaming, shouting other spells. Sophia heard Lola's distinct voice cry, _"Rictumsemptra!"_

_"I said disarm only!"_ shouted Lockhart, but Kaleb's eyes were alight.

"Is that all, Selwyn?" he taunted. "Go on, fire a real spell, I dare you-"

But Sophia didn't wait for him to finish speaking. Swinging her wand high over her head, she cried, _"Flipendo!"_ and Kaleb's eyes widened as he reacted immediately, waving his wand. _"Protego!"_ He shouted, a glittering shield appearing just before her spell could reach him, glowing where the jinx had hit it.

"Stop! Stop!" Lockhart was screaming.

Sophia and Kaleb raised their wands once more, preparing to fire another spell but Snape called out before they could. _"Finite Incantatem!"_ he shouted. Abruptly, all the commotion screeched to a halt. Sophia lowered her wand, looking around. There was a lot of emerald green smoke swirling over them that she hadn't noticed when she had been too busy focusing on Kaleb, a lot of people were on the floor, some people were bleeding. Lola's hair was a mess, her curls sticking straight up in the air as though she had received an electric shock.

"Dear, dear," Lockhart was saying. "Up you go, Macmillan.... Careful there, Miss Fawcett.... Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot--" He turned back to face them, his hat still askew from when Snape had knocked him off the stage. "I think I'd better teach you how to _block_ unfriendly spells first. Let's have a volunteer pair-- Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you--"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape interrupted. "Longbottom causes devastation with even the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a matchbox."

Sophia rolled her eyes. She didn't understand how Draco could have praised him-- to her Snape just seemed like an overgrown bully. She found her eyes returning to Kaleb. She hadn't heard of House Gautier before meeting him, but still, it sounded vaguely familiar. She assumed he was likely pureblooded, especially since he had called Ginny a bloodtraitor, but it definitely wasn't one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight bloodlines. But still- there was something about that name.

At that precise moment, something Snape said brought her attention back to the stage. "How about Malfoy and Potter?"

Sophia turned to see Draco standing in the middle of the hall, Harry beside him. The crowd backed away from them, creating a stage of their own. She drew in a breath, stomach twisting when Snape leaned down to whisper something in Draco's ear. She moved forward, trying to catch his eye, to warn him not to do whatever he was planning but he wasn't looking at her. Harry Potter was staring at her instead, looking at her as if trying to place where he knew her from. She looked away from him on instinct, not wanting him to remember her from Draco's behavior on the Quidditch pitch.

"Three-- two-- one-- _go!_ "

Harry raised his wand to cast a spell but Draco was faster, years of practice not in vain. _"Serpensortia!"_ he shouted. Sophia gasped as an enormous snake burst from the end of his wand, coiled on the floor and raised as though preparing itself to strike. Several people screamed, a third year Ravenclaw bumped into Sophia as people all over the floor backed up away from the snake.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape was in no hurry as Harry stood very still in front of the snake, frozen in fear. "I'll get rid of it...." 

"Allow me!" Lockhart strode forward before Snape could get there. There was a loud bang as he cast a spell at the snake, but instead of disappearing it was thrown upwards, falling back to the floor with an enraged hiss. Sophia held her breath as the snake moved toward a second year Hufflepuff boy she didn't know, raising itself as if to strike.

In another moment, as though she were watching it in a dream, Harry Potter strode toward the snake, opening his mouth, but instead of words a sharp hissing came out. Sophia felt frozen, watching as the snake slowly turned to look at him, lowering itself back onto the ground.

"What do you think you're playing at?" The Hufflepuff boy shouted. Harry looked confused, but before he could even open his mouth the boy had already left, the door slamming with a ringing thud behind him.

With a wave of Snape's wand the black snake had vanished as all of the students in the hall returned their gazes to Harry, who looked extremely uncomfortable. People around Sophia had started to whisper.

"He's a Parselmouth-" someone said.

"-just like Salazar Slytherin-" came a voice from the other side of the hall.

"D'you think he was trying to kill Justin?"

But no sooner had it all happened than Ron, Ginny's brother who had puked slugs on the Quidditch pitch, seized Harry by the robes, pulling him away from the crowd. The Muggle-born girl was hurrying after them, looking concerned and a bit frightened. Sophia's eyes found Draco once more, looking stunned as Harry left the Great Hall. Sophia could practically see the gears turning in his mind, trying to work out what it was that had just happened.

Sophia felt her heart racing as she looked back to the retreating figure of Harry. It couldn't have been him. Could it?

**This was a little bit of a shorter chapter, but I thought that if I continued with the plot that it would be too long so I just decided to end it here for now so as not to overwhelm anyone! I can't believe it's been so long since I last uploaded (it's been three days lol but it feels like way longer) but school has been really busy as I've got finals to study for and I have had THE WORST writers block for this chapter, you don't even know. I think I've rewritten it five times? I'm still not completely happy with it so I probably will go back and edit some things later, but I wanted to get it up for everyone now. I am FLOORED that this story already has 42 hearts!!! I'm so happy that other people are enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I wanted to say thank you to everyone who's left such sweet comments down below, it honestly makes my day every time I get one! Oh yeah, and I was curious if you all had any predictions on who Sophia's going to end up with! This story will eventually have a romance element, just not now because they are actual children haha. I'm actually torn between three people, but I'll leave you to wonder who they are haha because I'm lowkey still deciding. I want to keep this story as accurate to the original books as I can while still being original, so I took some creative liberties with Sophia's first year and will as the story progresses. Do you think we can get to 45 hearts by the next chapter?? I can't believe we're almost to 50, I just published this story a week ago!! It's so much fun being able to see the events of Harry Potter through another character's perspective. Anyways, this author's note is WAYYY too long so I'm gonna drop off here, I just feel like I always have so much to say to you guys at the end of each chapter lol.**

**\- Maddi**


	7. Chapter 6 || The Slytherin Bloodtraitor (Year 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol lol i'm a mess sorry guys! i skipped over the last chapter by accident when i posted it here (it was the dueling club so not super important honestly) but i just went ahead and replaced it so now things should be in order, sorry about that!

**Although Sophia still wasn't convinced that the heir of Slytherin was Harry Potter, it seemed that the rest of the school didn't share her view.** Less than a day after the Dueling Club, there was another attack, the Hufflepuff boy who had almost been attacked by the snake and one of the Hogwarts ghosts, Nearly Headless Nick. Harry Potter himself had been discovered near the scene of the crime, and with this particularly damning bit of evidence, most of the school was steering clear. 

Sophia had been looking forward to going home for Christmas, but at the last moment she had received another letter from her parents, this one written by her father.

_Dear Soph,_

_I hate having to say this, but it's looking like you won't be coming home for Christmas after all. Lucius Malfoy is facing scrutiny at the moment. Don't fret- your mother and I are staying out of it, but we've decided to spend a quiet Christmas with your grandmother rather than our annual Christmas celebration with the other families. I know it's not what we'd planned, but you understand the importance of protecting the family name. I miss you every day, Soph, the house feels so empty without you in it, but at least I can take comfort in knowing Draco will be looking out for you._

_All my love,_

_Dad_

Sophia did her best to stifle the disappointment she felt upon reading the words scratched out on the paper. While she certainly didn't want to spend the Christmas holidays with her stern grandmother, with everything going on with the Chamber of Secrets she really didn't want to stay at the school over Christmas break either. Part of her wished she had told her parents about what was going on, but the other part of her was relieved that at least they wouldn't be any more worried about her than they already were.

Finally, the term was at an end and Sophia and Ginny had waved Lola goodbye as she joined what felt like most of the castle in returning home. To her utter relief, Ginny was staying as well, and had shyly invited Sophia to stay with her in the Gryffindor dormitory. Sophia had accepted at once, desperate to avoid Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle if at all possible. The day after everyone had left she crept downstairs, poking her head around the corner as she tried not to make a sound.

She groaned when she caught sight of Draco sitting by himself in front of one of the green armchairs by the fire. Part of her considered turning back, but the other part of her, the part that was still angry with him set her jaw. She stepped lightly down the rest of the stairs, chin held high. Sure enough, Draco blinked in surprise as she walked past him without a word.

"Soph? Where are you going?"

"Out," she responded simply. She didn't care that her words were sharp, realizing with a start that this was the first time it had been just the two of them since she'd arrived at Hogwarts. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Well, can it wait?" Draco had gotten to his feet. "My father just sent me this, look." He held out an ornately carved box, gleaming where it had gold and silver accents. "It's a brand new Wizards Chess set. Want to help me break it in?"

The first stirrings of guilt began to rise in her chest as her friend smiled at her. For a moment, it was like they were back at the manor, tucking themselves away from their family members and responsibility as they got far too competitive with each together in games of hide-and-seek or Wizards Chess, where he beat her every-time.

"I can't," she said, heart wrenching. "I said I'd meet another friend. Maybe later?"

"Didn't the rest of the first years go home for the holidays?" His eyes narrowed as he suddenly realized who she meant. "Don't tell me-"

"Ginny, yes," Just like that, the boy she had seen was gone. "I promised her, Draco, she said she'd introduce me to the rest of her family and their friends-"

"Potter and Granger?" Contempt laced his words. "First it was the Weasleys, now the Mudblood, and if that wasn't enough you're going to be hanging around Potter too? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were turning into a-"

"A _bloodtraitor_?" It was like she'd been slapped.

He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I didn't say that."

"You were about to!"

"And what if I was? You're my-" He broke off as if he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. When he continued speaking, his words were softer. "I just mean, we're friends aren't we? We care about each other. And ever since you came to Hogwarts, people have been saying things about you, that the Weasleys have rubbed off on you, that you aren't even really a Selwyn-"

"Like that's anything new." She laughed derisively. "People have been saying that for years, your own _family_ -"

"Don't you get it?" He hissed. "I'm just trying to look out for you! The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, and I know you aren't stupid enough to believe Potter is Slytherin's heir. Bloodtraitor is as bad as Mudblood in Slytherin's book, and if you aren't careful it could be you who's petrified next!"

"I'd rather take my chances with Slytherin's monster than pretend to be someone I'm not like the rest of youl!" Her eyes burned. "If that makes me a bloodtraitor, then you can write your father right now."

She whirled to leave, blinking back tears. Just before the door shut, Draco's voice called out after her. "Play pretend all you want, Soph, but it isn't going to change who you are!"

The Gryffindor tower had a completely different feel from the Slytherin dungeons. The Slytherin common room was long and low, with elegant and elaborate decorations. It had an air of haughtiness and pride, one that reminded Sophia to keep her guard up and her chin held high. The floor to ceiling windows looked out into the Black lake, and Sophia and Lola had spent many hours curled up by the glass, entranced at the figures that would dart past. There was a colony of merpeople that lived under the black lake, and one of them had taken to swimming over whenever he caught them staring, flashing a mischievous fanged grin through the glass, quickly called away by the rest of the colony.

Gryffindor tower was entirely different. While the Slytherin common room was grand and unforgiving, the common room belonging to Gryffindor was warm and welcoming. It was awash in red and gold, lit by arched windows that looked out into the sky and sconces mounted high on the walls. The wind whistled past the walls, a different sound than the hum of the merpeople she heard from the Slytherin common room, but not unwelcome. While the Slytherin common room had become home for her, there was something magical about the Gryffindor tower that pulled her in all the same.

Sophia had been tense and on her guard when she entered through the portrait hole for the first time, sticking close to Ginny's side as the other Gryffindors examined her curiously, but it didn't take long for her to feel that she had officially slipped her way into the group. Harry Potter had politely introduced himself with a shy sort of smile, inquiring as to where she'd met Ginny. Ron, as that was what everyone seemed to call him, hadn't shown much interest in her aside from after she had beat him in a game of chess, remarking rather loudly that he had played such an excellent game of Wizards Chess only the year prior that Dumbledore himself had awarded him fifty points to Gryffindor.

Hermione Granger, the Muggle-born girl from the Quidditch pitch, had been the only one aside from the twins who seemed to remember her from Draco's cruelty, but she had been kind enough to pretend it hadn't happened, introducing herself as if it was the first time the two of them had met. Even Ginny's oldest brother Percy had been kind enough, saying that although her staying in the Gryffindor dormitories really was against the rules, (and as a school Prefect it was his job to uphold them) he supposed he'd let it slide, as he understood the first years were probably still shook up about the Chamber of Secrets.

It was only Fred and George who were still frosty with her, eyeing her warily from across the room. They didn't bring up what had happened on the Quidditch pitch and she had a feeling that even Ginny didn't know, but Sophia was determined to show them how very _un-Slytherin_ she could behave. Sophia and the Gryffindors spent their days playing chess and Exploding Snap, Fred and George grudgingly consented to teach Ginny and Sophia to duel, and she ignored Draco and his cronies whenever possible, frequently skipping meals and living off the sweets her father had mailed her as another apology for not spending the holidays with her.

It was on one such day as Sophia and Ginny stretched out on the couches, giggling, that Harry, Ron and Hermione approached her rather awkwardly.

"Sophia," said Harry. "Er- we were wondering where the Slytherin common room is."

Ginny's cheeks turned scarlet, but Sophia sat up instantly. "It's in the dungeons, by the Potions classrooms," she said, looking at the three second years curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"We've just never seen it," Hermione said quickly. "Is it to the left of the Potions room?"

"No," Sophia shook her head. "If you go down the main staircase, it's directly to the right. There's a hidden door there, but you need the password to get in." She eyed Harry curiously, the beginnings of a smile on her lips. "You aren't thinking of breaking in, are you?"

"No!" said Harry. "Sorry to bother you, we'll let you be. See you, Ginny."

And with that, the Gryffindors hurried out of the portrait hole, off to who knows where.

If Halloween at Hogwarts had been a big deal, Christmas at Hogwarts was truly magnificent. On the morning of December 25, 1992, Sophia woke up to a lot of powdery snow falling outside the Gryffindor girls' dormitory windows, the sky a faint, bright grey. Enormous Christmas trees stood in every corner of the Great Hall, trimmed with holly and never melting ice that gleamed where the light hit it. Enchanted snow was falling from the ceiling of the Great Hall, disappearing before it could make their clothes damp. 

She sat with Ginny and the other Weasleys for Christmas dinner, which was wonderful. Even Fred and George seemed to be warming up to her, but she could still see them shooting glares Draco's way. They sang Christmas carols, Ginny had even given her a hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley, who, despite having never met Sophia, had sent her a lovely card thanking her for being a friend to her daughter. The sweater was a deep plum, and she put it on instantly, deeply appreciative.

Her eyes kept flickering over to the Slytherin table. Draco was unusually sullen, hardly speaking to either Crabbe or Goyle as he pushed food around on his plate without really eating it and looking back over to where she was sitting. She tried to push him out of her thoughts, to laugh valiantly with the rest of them, but she couldn't when she saw him stand abruptly from the table, dropping his knife and fork with a small clink as he turned and strode out of the Great Hall before desert.

Harry, Hermione and Ron left a few minutes into pudding, and Fred and George announced they were going to enchant snow to fall on their friends beds when they came back from the holidays. Ginny went eagerly to go help, but Sophia said she would stay behind, that she really should go back to her real dormitory first and write her parents back before they started to worry.

"Believe me, I get it," said Ginny. "My mum can be overbearing too. I'll see you later tonight-- don't let Malfoy ruin Christmas!"

Sophia took a breath, steeling herself as she headed in the direction of the dungeons. The hallways of Hogwarts were so empty, she could hear her shoes tapping on the marble as she headed down the main staircase. No sooner had she gone down them, however, than she crashed immediately into something soft, crying out as she fell in a tangled heap of limbs.

_"Sophia?"_

It was Goyle, his face inches from her own. Sophia jolted back immediately, stepping on Crabbe by mistake in her hurry to get up.

"What are you two doing here? I thought you'd already be back in the common room by now."

"We, er- got lost."

"Sure you did," she rolled her eyes and set off down the path to the dungeons. Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a look before hurrying after her. "Draco didn't send you to spy on me, did he?"

"No?" Crabbe sounded genuinely confused. "Why would he-"

"Forget it," she said. They had reached the hidden entrance and she stopped outside it. _"Snake skin."_

A stone door concealed in the wall slid open. She stepped through, but Crabbe and Goyle hesitated for a moment. She had already started off in the direction of the girls dormitory when Goyle caught her arm, voice urgent.

"Wait!"

"What?" She pulled her arm away, unable to hide her confusion. Neither Crabbe nor Goyle had ever really spoken to her before, in fact, it was rare that either of them even spoke around Draco. Before he could respond, however, another voice cut across the common room.

"There you are," Draco called, strolling toward Crabbe and Goyle. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I was just about to go look for you —" he broke off when he caught sight of Sophia, a flush creeping into his pale cheeks. "I see you've decided to come back," he said.

"I just came to write my parents, and before you get any ideas, I haven't changed my mind about what I said." Her words came out in a rush, but she paused before continuing. "But I did want to wish you a merry Christmas."

His cheeks reddened even more and for a moment she thought he'd be angry, but to her surprise he said, "Merry Christmas to you too. I don't suppose you've seen your present yet?"

She shook her head, and noticed with a pleased sort of start that her present to him was by the fire where she guessed he'd been sitting. From the look on his face, he'd liked it very much.

"I should probably go look," she said awkwardly, stepping around the group of boys as she moved towards the staircase. "I need to write my parents before they start to worry."

"Yeah," said Draco. "Just-- be careful on the way back to the Weasleys. Don't take too long down a hallway by yourself."

_"Aww,"_ said Sophia, turning back with a smile. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you really do care about me, Draco."

His cheeks were very red now. "I still don't get why you hang around that sort-" But he broke off when he caught sight of her glare. Crabbe and Goyle were watching stupidly, mouths open.

She hurried up the stairs, trying to desperately to keep a smile from spreading across her face.

When she got to her dormitory, spying the large pile of presents from her family and the other Slytherins, her heart warmed in her chest. Lola had sent her handwoven friendship bracelets, powder blue while Ginny's had been lime green, Lola's an electric pink. House Gautier had sent a generic looking Christmas card, Kaleb looking distinctly less smug than usual beside an older boy she assumed was his brother and his mother and father.

Her parents had sent heaps of gifts, flowery perfumes and silver paintbrushes, but then, it was Draco's present that made her draw in a breath as she opened it.

When she turned the miniature box over on her bed, a little flash of silver slipped out, falling with a soft sort of flump. It was a gleaming silver bracelet, set with glittering emeralds.

_Merry Christmas, Soph,_ the attached note read. _Just don't expect me to kiss you, cause I won't._

**Another chapter done! I feel like I'm annoying you guys with all these updates, sorry! Can you believe I (still!) haven't done the work I need to do? This is why I'm not a Ravenclaw. Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you so much for 55 hearts???? I'm honestly floored with the amount of love this story has received, thank you all so much for stopping by and favoriting <3 It would mean so much to me if you would share this story with other people you think might be interested, or if you would leave a comment down below! I love comments even more than favorites because it reminds me that there are actually 55 people who are enjoying what I have to say, which is honestly just so surreal. I know a lot of you don't have accounts, so hello to you too! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. This chapter was super fun to write, again not entirely happy with it but i don't absolutely hate it and I loved writing her interactions with the trio (both knowing and unknowing with Crabbe and Goyle lol) Next chapter should be when things start to officially pick up excitement wise, so I'm looking forward to that! Any predictions for this year so far? Thank you again for supporting me and Sophia's story, and I'll see you in the comment section and the next chapter!**

**\- Maddi**


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